


caption this

by iwillalwaysbelieve



Series: college aus??? how did this start [3]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: (very minor), Alternate Universe - College/University, Deaf Character, Deaf Seongwoo, Fluff, Football Player Daniel, M/M, a soft one, daniel's a jock but like, i love them, it's just soft, minor dongho/minki, seongwoo just needs some love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 05:22:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11799294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwillalwaysbelieve/pseuds/iwillalwaysbelieve
Summary: In which Seongwoo is surprised, as always, to discover that someone genuinely likes him, and Daniel hurts his wrist way too much to date someone he uses sign language with.alternatively: if i have to write the only passable deaf au for every fandom i'm in i will and you can pry that accomplishment from my cold dead hands





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It’s the first day of classes and Seongwoo didn’t really expect much, but this?

The professor read his note when the students walked in, the one that explained that Seongwoo is deaf and needs various accommodations, and agreed to them. He even told Seongwoo he’d do everything possible to make class as normal as possible for him, but apparently that doesn’t extend to the first lesson plan.

Because of _course_ this professor would be one of the ones who starts actual teaching the second he’s done going over the syllabus, and expects them all to follow along immediately. All of the other kids are pulling computers out of their bags, so Seongwoo does as well, even though he couldn’t see the professor’s mouth to read his lips when giving instructions.

As he straightens he glances to his right and yes, the handsome boy is still there. He’s been trying to convince himself that the boy is real and not a figment of his imagination for the better part of an hour, because how else can someone be so attractive? He doesn’t _know_ the boy, but he thinks it might be one of the football guys, because he swears he’s seen the guy somewhere, and he’s been trying to figure it out ever since they sat down next to each other for this lecture.

The boy glances over before Seongwoo can look away and smiles at him, a little awkwardly. Seongwoo nods back, trying to appear unaffected by the bunny teeth and the way the boy’s eyes scrunch up, because Seongwoo has a _reputation_ and he’s going to uphold it, no matter how much Minki teases the shit out of him for how flustered he gets around his crushes. And then the boy turns back to the front, so clearly the professor is doing something, and when Seongwoo follows his gaze he groans.

Rather than lecture, the professor has chosen today to be a video day. Which would usually be great, since videos are often more entertaining than professors who give the same speech five times or whatever, but it’s the first day. And first day means no accommodations yet, which means no subtitles, which means Seongwoo will be able to get jack shit out of these notes. He may as well not even take notes, because all he’s going to get are fractions of a sentence scattered here and there when they decide to show whoever’s speaking from the right angle and with enough light that Seongwoo can read their lips.

He sighs and makes pointed eye contact with the professor and closes his laptop deliberately and resigns himself to a very unhelpful day. He’ll have to find someone in the class to mooch notes off of, at least until the professor gets his shit together and finds subtitled videos.

The video must be interesting, he supposes, because he spends most of the time watching the boy next to him take dedicated notes, a shock of blond hair falling in his eyes as he bends over his computer. He’s cute when he’s concentrated, Seongwoo decides, a little furrow in his forehead appearing while he tugs at his bottom lip with his teeth, and the sleeves of his flannel fall over his hands as he types. It’s a good look. A very boyfriend look, and Seongwoo sighs to himself because he’s positive someone this attractive must have an equally-as-attractive girlfriend hanging off his arm and cheering for him at every football game. There’s no way this boy is single, not when everything about him screams _perfect_.

A few times Seongwoo tears his eyes away from the boy to look at the professor, raise an eyebrow, and gesture to his ears. Sure, Seongwoo’s all about how much he’s able to do like any hearing person, but there are limitations, and those limitations include videos that spend more time with narration and demonstrations than words and interviews.

After what feels like ten years the video ends and the professor flicks the lights back on and everyone takes a second to blink and let their eyes adjust. The video’s over, so class must be as well, and Seongwoo’s theory is confirmed when people around him start to pack up their things. He slides his own computer back into his bag and makes to stand up, but the handsome boy beside him reaches out.

“Wait,” he says, and Seongwoo is glad he’s deaf because it gives him a legitimate reason to be staring at the boy’s lips. But he has places to be, so he raises an eyebrow and taps his ear.

 _Right. Sorry._ The boy shifts into sign language, and Seongwoo blinks in surprise but accepts it. _If you want to give me your email, I’ll share those notes with you. Hopefully we get subtitles next class._

The signing isn’t the best, and the boy fumbles through the sign for subtitles as though it’s unfamiliar or one he learned a long time ago and hasn’t used since, but still, he’s signing, and Seongwoo thinks he could kiss the boy just for that. To be quite honest, he could kiss the boy for a lot of reasons and this is the least of them, but it does mean a lot.

He nods, pulls a pen from his bag, and looks around for paper. There isn’t any and everyone else is leaving and he doesn’t really want to be the only ones left in the lecture hall with the professor, so he grabs for the boy’s hand and brushes the flannel sleeve away so he can scribble his email on the back of the boy’s hand.

When he finishes he glances up for the boy’s approval, only to find that they’d both taken steps closer to each other and are now so close that kiss would be more than easy to accomplish. Clearing his throat in a sound he can’t hear he pushes away, grabs his bag, and makes to leave, but the boy stops him for a second time.

_Phone number, in case you don’t understand something._

Seongwoo laughs a little, but takes the boy’s hand again to add his phone number above his email before signing _thank you_ and beating a hasty retreat from the lecture hall, hoping desperately that the boy didn’t realize how flustered Seongwoo was getting.

Not an hour later, as Seongwoo sits in his dorm room and complains with flying hands to Jaehwan about the beautiful boy, his phone lights up. He snatches it from its place on his bed to find a text from an unknown number: _this is daniel, from organic chemistry. i shared the notes with u just lmk if u need anything else._

Jaehwan is smirking when Seongwoo looks up from his phone. _Lover boy?_

_Not lover boy, shut up. D-A-N-I-E-L._

It’s a good name. One that’s easy to fingerspell, one Seongwoo would be more than happy to spell all day. He sighs a little, thinking of how close they came to kissing. If he really has to content himself to pining in class, this year is gonna suck.

_thx for the notes bro i owe u 1_

 

They become study partners pretty quickly, because the professor does find subtitled versions of most of his videos but there’s a few that are still a problem. The professor says he can’t find subtitles for them and he refuses to not show them as part of his lesson plan, so Seongwoo is left to rely on Daniel’s notes.

They’re fast friends even if Seongwoo has to slow down his signing a bit or write things out sometimes and Daniel’s signing is a bit shaky and his fingerspelling is wonky and sometimes wrong.

Seongwoo learns that Daniel is, in fact, on the football team; he’s the star cornerback, and all Seongwoo gets from the complicated explanation is that he chases offensive players and tackles them and sometimes intercepts passes. Daniel laughs when Seongwoo tells him this and says that’s about all he really needs to know. He’s currently single, recently broken up with his girlfriend of two years because, he signs with a laugh, she prefers a boy from the theatre department who recited Shakespeare to her and kissed her for what he called a social experiment.

Upon seeing the name it’s Seongwoo’s turn to laugh, because he knows the boy in question, and Daniel’s ex has no chance with him unless all she wants is a one-night stand. As much as Jonghyun asks why that doesn’t get Seongwoo’s hopes up, hearing that Daniel’s single, it doesn’t because he’s convincing himself that Daniel is straight, and he’s doing a pretty good job of it.

They’re sitting in the library for their third study session, in what Seongwoo has come to think of as their corner—it’s the one next to the decorative fireplace, where they drag armchairs over to the table and swap them out for the less comfortable chairs provided with the table. Daniel looks up from his notes and Seongwoo has to pretend he wasn’t just mentally writing a detailed analysis of how Daniel’s dangling earring makes him go weak at the knees to pay attention to what Daniel is signing.

_What about you?_

_What about me?_ Seongwoo raises his eyebrows, pulls a face.

 _What’s your major?_ Daniel’s, Seongwoo knows, is pre-med with a focus on pediatrics.

_Neuroscience, focus on signed language acquisition._

_Do anything outside of class?_

Seongwoo nods and smiles to himself. _There’s a deaf girl at the daycare, and I work with her to teach her English and sign with her._

He’s not totally sure why his words make Daniel pause in whatever he was about to say and drop his head into his hands for a moment but they take a break for a minute until Daniel looks up again. He hesitates before he signs, however, so Seongwoo raises his own hands.

_What?_

_Do you have a girlfriend?_

With a snort, Seongwoo shakes his head. _No. Almost had a boyfriend, but Minhyun is determined he’s too good for me and Jonghyun looked like he was going to murder me in my sleep if I pushed it._

Daniel has clearly forgotten they’re in the library to study. Even with the splint on his wrist, the one he has to wear for everything except practice and games, he makes his signing work. _H-W-A-N-G M-I-N-H-Y-U-N?_ He stares in shock when Seongwoo confirms it. _You asked out Minhyun? I’m surprised Jonghyun didn’t actually kill you._

Seongwoo smirks, leaning forward across the table. Gossip is what he lives for, so he’s incredibly happy Daniel knows of the Minhyun-Jonghyun drama. _What do you know about them?_

_I work part-time at the hospital they’re doing their residency in. We’ve got a betting pool on how long it’ll take for them to be found making out in a supply closet._

Now _this_ is what Seongwoo’s talking about. He also may or may not be directing attention away from the fact that they just found out they’re both single, because he’s doing everything he can to keep himself from thinking he might have a chance with Daniel, since it’s so painfully obvious he doesn’t. The star football player, the one with girls falling at his feet left and right, the one dedicating his life to helping kids, could never fall for the deaf boy in his class.

They talk for a bit about random things, how Minhyun and Jonghyun should take a lesson from Minki and Dongho and just accept that they’re in love with each other, how Jisung keeps trying to mother Daniel’s arm, how the upcoming football game is a really important one and Daniel would _really_ like it if Seongwoo gave up on his hermit life in the dorm and came to watch it. Seongwoo can’t resist the look Daniel gives him, not with those cute eyes and the tiny pout. He agrees, and then thinks of something.

_Do you have a name sign? I never thought to ask about it._

They both laugh about their moments of idiocy, since typically that’s information given out upon first introduction. Daniel nods, and demonstrates, and Seongwoo is torn between cracking up and dying of cuteness, because Daniel’s name sign is the sign for _rabbit_ with the handshape for the first letter of his name instead of the usual handshape.

 _Since Woojin says I have a bunny smile,_  Daniel explains, but he doesn’t need to.

Seongwoo knows the significance behind the name sign easily. _I want to meet Woojin. He sounds like a great kid._

Daniel’s smile grows fond upon the mention of the little boy in the pediatric ward, the mostly-deaf preteen who started teaching him sign language. _He is. What’s your name sign?_

Seongwoo grins a little and shows him. It’s the sign for _star_ with two “s” handshapes, and Daniel asks for an explanation. _The three moles on my cheek,_ Seongwoo signs, pointing to them, _people say they look like a constellation._

Daniel repeats the sign for _constellation,_  confused, and Seongwoo defines it, fingerspells, and Daniel nods in understanding. _They do look like that. I like it._

They grin at each other, pleased, for a second longer than normal. Daniel averts his eyes suddenly, pulling his notes back in front of him, and Seongwoo clears his throat as he returns his gaze to the practice worksheet they’re trying to figure out.

They’re friends, Seongwoo reminds himself. Just friends, not anything more than that.

 

Dongho is overjoyed when Seongwoo says he’s coming to see the game. He’s been trying to get Seongwoo to do just that for two years with no luck, so at this point he doesn’t care _why_ Seongwoo’s coming, just that he is. Minki and Jonghyun laugh when they hear Seongwoo’s reasoning, but they drag him to the tailgating to eat and get the school logo painted on one cheek, insisting that he gets the full experience.

As much as the bustle of dozens of people cooking and partying and preparing is a little overwhelming it’s also fun, and Seongwoo gets caught up in a whirlwind of school colors and good food and excited kids, and he thinks maybe he should start coming to more of the games. Minki, with all his connections among the student body, has gotten them to the second row of the student section, behind a row of boys with their chests painted to spell out the school’s name.

The noise inside the stadium is loud enough Seongwoo can almost hear it; he can definitely _feel_ it, vibrations thrumming in his chest to the tune of over fifty thousand people cheering. Sure, he doesn’t know that much about football, but he’s able to cheer when everyone else around him is, letting inarticulate yells pull themselves out of his throat.

Dongho is #19, and he’s easy to spot because he finds his friends in the crowd and waves, and Seongwoo waves back with excitement building throughout the game. It’s Daniel he’s here for, though, and he spots the #23 when their team is on defense, traces his path easily as Daniel sprints down the field shadowing an opposing player, cheers when Daniel makes a good tackle and immediately jumps up to celebrate with his defensive linemen.

Halftime comes before Seongwoo even realizes and Jonghyun slips away to go get food from concessions, but Seongwoo stays to try and see Daniel as the players jog back into the locker room. They’re ahead, at the moment, but not by much, and Daniel’s playing all-out to try to maintain the lead they’ve gotten. It worries Seongwoo just a little, thinking of the bandage around Daniel’s wrist, but he brushes it off as the third quarter starts.

The opposing coach must have done something right in the locker room, because the other team comes out and narrows the gap in points quickly, playing hard and fast and brutal. They’re keeping Daniel running the entire time on defense, sending wide receivers out as though to make deep passes and then running for a few yards at a time.

Midway through the third quarter they finally do throw long, and Daniel scrambles and keeps pace with the wicked-fast wide receiver, manages to leap and stretch and tip the ball away from the receiver’s gloves. The ball bounces to the turf and the student section explodes, Seongwoo right along with everyone else.

Daniel flashes a thumbs-up to the crowd as he jogs back to the line of scrimmage and Seongwoo starts to understand why he’s considered the star.

Nearing the middle of the fourth quarter the other team manages to hold off a scoring opportunity and Jonghyun narrows his eyes next to Seongwoo. Confused, Seongwoo taps him on the shoulder and signs a request for an explanation.

_We’re having trouble stopping their offense, so we needed to maintain our lead. If they can score here we’ll have trouble coming back._

With a nod they turn back to the game in time to see Daniel face off against the guy returning the punt. He needs this tackle, or at least to buy enough time for the rest of the defense to get set and close in, but just as he starts to lunge for the guy with the ball another opponent, huge and heavily built, comes out of nowhere to lower his shoulder and barrel into Daniel. Seongwoo gasps as Daniel gets knocked backwards, puts a hand out to catch himself as he heads for the ground, and lands hard on his bad wrist.

The opponent in question stands over Daniel and gestures in celebration, but Daniel is slow to get up, cradling his wrist awkwardly as he does so. Play stops; the punt returner must have been tackled, but Seongwoo only cares about the way Daniel shrugs away from his opponent’s aggressive shoving and heads for the sideline. He hardly even watches the next drive, too busy trying to see Daniel getting fussed over by the trainers, his helmet pushed up on his forehead so he can speak with them more easily.

He does catch that the other team scores, putting them in the lead for the first time, but of bigger concern to Seongwoo is that when their offense is forced to punt again, Daniel doesn’t go out with the rest of the defense. The trainers wrap his wrist carefully and he sits on the bench, gulping water and talking to who Seongwoo thinks is the quarterback.

The defense manages to force a punt, having held the game to a three-point lead, but there’s only really time in the game for one more drive from each team. As the offense heads out onto the field Seongwoo sees Daniel move towards the coach; throughout the drive they speak together, and Daniel seems happy with whatever the outcome is. They get stopped on about the 35-yard line, but Jonghyun seems to have faith in the kicker, so Seongwoo does as well.

The faith is well-deserved, as the field goal is made neatly. A tie game is alright, but definitely not preferable—a tie gets them into the playoffs, but a win gets them a better seed and therefore an easier team to play in their first game. They just have to hope for a miracle play from the defense, and Seongwoo thinks maybe that’s what they’ll get when Daniel shoves his helmet back over his caramel hair and jogs onto the field.

He’s playing no easier than usual despite the wrap on his wrist, and they’re not doing an awful job of holding the other team to short runs that don’t get much of anywhere. Finally there’s time for one more play in the game, and it’s easy to see from the start that it’ll be a long pass.

Daniel finds his player and follows easily, chases him down the length of the field, and then when the receiver turns for the pass Daniel does as well, leaps and stretches and Seongwoo sees the flash of hot pink athletic tape as the ball nears them in a perfect spiral. The cheers vibrating through Seongwoo’s chest have quieted, like the whole stadium is holding its breath—and then the two players land and Daniel’s got the ball tucked firmly under his arm and he’s running almost before anyone seems to realize what’s going on.

The cheers start back up again, more intense than ever from the student section, and Daniel races down the field, dances around offense trying desperately to play defense. His linemen provide excellent cover as he slips past the original line of scrimmage about halfway down the field.

He’s got one more person to beat when an offensive lineman comes out of nowhere, headed for Daniel’s blind spot, but then another familiar player barrels out of the crowd of players to slam into the opponent—Dongho. He’s a bit smaller than the offensive lineman but he’s got the element of surprise, and he throws an excellent block and then Daniel’s home free, running easily the rest of the way.

When he makes it into the endzone his teammates flood the field and Jonghyun and Minki grab Seongwoo and shake him around and yell, and after a second of processing the event Seongwoo joins them.

He texts Daniel quickly, saying they were going to take Dongho out to dinner to celebrate and asking if he wanted to come, and then waits for a reply anxiously. Instead of a response, Daniel is tagging along behind Dongho when the players are released from the locker room, that pink athletic tape still around his wrist, hair damp and sticking to his forehead.

_Did you enjoy the game?_

The grin splitting Seongwoo’s cheeks is apparently enough of an answer, because Daniel grins back and they fall in step as the others start heading for the restaurant. _You came like I asked._ Daniel seems pleased.

 _I would have come to a game eventually,_ Seongwoo signs back. _Minki'_ _s dating Dongho, after all. There'_ _s no way I wouldn'_ _t have been dragged to one of the games sometime soon._

Daniel blinks in shock. _You know my brother?_

 _Brother?_ Dongho had never mentioned anything about having a brother, in the two and a half years they’d known each other.

But Daniel just laughs. _Not really, but we'_ _re both Kang. An announcer made a mistake during a game and said we were brothers, and it'_ _s kind of a running joke now._

_Makes sense._

They walk mostly without signing; Seongwoo wants to let Daniel’s wrist rest, and while he can sign one-handed he doesn’t like doing so, and the hurt one is his dominant hand. Still, it’s comfortable, and Seongwoo is more than happy to sneak glances out of the corner of his eye, admiring the way Daniel’s tank-top shows off his broad shoulders, the way his damp hair falls across his face.

He sighs. He may as well admit, as Minki has been pestering him to do for weeks now, that he has a stupidly huge crush on Kang Daniel. It’s getting kind of ridiculous at this point.

When they get to the restaurant Daniel makes a face, which has Seongwoo prompting for an explanation. _Didn'_ _t realize we were going somewhere that requires me to be able to use chopsticks,_ Daniel signs. _Might be hard._

Before he can stop himself, Seongwoo grins. _Don'_ _t worry. I'_ _ll feed you._

The second he realizes what he’s signed he buries his head in his hands and hunches his shoulders and refuses to look at Daniel; he did _not_ mean to start flirting. He avoids eye contact until they’re led to their table, and then he looks over to see who’s sliding into the booth next to him and it’s Daniel, an easy smile on his lips.

_Don'_ _t go back on a promise._

This, more than anything, makes Seongwoo want to curl up and die. For all he’d imagined one day starting to flirt, he never actually imagined Daniel would flirt back—it never crossed his mind that Daniel could like him back.

Still, they order and Jonghyun acts as Seongwoo’s interpreter as per usual and they joke around, usually in sign or at the very least one person is interpreting. Jonghyun and Minki congratulate Daniel on the pick-six and he smiles bashfully and tries to divert attention to Dongho’s block, and Seongwoo falls for him just a little harder because how could someone so talented be so _humble?_

Their food comes and talking, both verbal and signed, comes to a halt as they start to eat. Daniel really does try with his chopsticks, but he’s awkward and fumbling and Seongwoo tries to pass it off as exasperation when he turns and picks up a bite of Daniel’s food on his own chopsticks and holds it out. Knowing his friends will be teasing, he refuses to look anywhere but Daniel’s eyes and what he thinks might be a bit of a blush dusting the athlete’s cheeks. Nevertheless Daniel accepts the food and signs his thanks and this continues until his plate is cleared. Seongwoo still hasn’t dared to look at the other side of the table.

When they finish Daniel’s plate Daniel looks up apologetically. _I would return the favor, but…_

Seongwoo laughs. _Don’t worry._ He turns to his own food but in the middle of taking a bite a hand is waved in front of his face and he looks up out of habit; it’s how people get his attention, so it’s rude not to react to it. Minki is smirking, and Jonghyun, despite being a certifiable angel, seems like he’s not too far from joining Minki.

_Should we leave you two alone?_

Seongwoo chokes on his noodles and Daniel claps him on the back until he stops coughing. _Shut up._

Jonghyun, if not smirking, is all-out grinning now. _Technically we didn’t say anything._

Defeated, Seongwoo lets his head thunk onto the table. He should have known inviting the person his friends know he’s crushing on to dinner would be an awful decision, but he didn’t think it would get this bad. He starts a little when a hand suddenly runs through his hair, long fingers scratching at the nape of his neck, and when he straightens he realizes it was Daniel, who leaves his hand in Seongwoo’s hair for a moment. There’s mischief in his eyes when he smiles at Seongwoo.

_They can leave if they want._

Seongwoo is incapable of coherent thought. Seongwoo thinks his heart is going to stop beating. Ong Seongwoo is about to _die_ all because of a cute football player’s dumb eye smile and bunny teeth and the broad shoulders taking up most of their side of the booth and some casual flirting. Twenty-one years old and he’s already met his end, starts to say his final goodbyes—

He’s saved by the waitress, who comes back with the bill, and everyone’s attention is diverted away from him long enough for him to sort out some semblance of composure. When they walk out of the restaurant Daniel tugs on Seongwoo’s sleeve until they fall behind the other three. _I didn’t mean to embarrass you back there. I’m sorry if it went too far._

 _That’s not it._ Seongwoo is a little stunned by the idea that such a perfect human being could ever think he’s in the wrong. _I just never expected you to return any of my flirting._

It’s Daniel’s turn to get confused. _Why wouldn’t you?_

There’s a small, sad smile playing at the corners of Seongwoo’s lips. _Why would someone like you want to date a deaf boy?_ For all he wants to smooth out the crease in Daniel’s forehead, Seongwoo has no intention of taking back his words.

 _You really think that’s all there is to you?_ When Seongwoo nods Daniel stops. _Seongwoo_ —damn, if Seongwoo doesn’t love seeing Daniel use his name sign— _you’re so much more than your deafness. You’re smart and funny and ridiculous and caring and the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. You advocate not just for yourself but for everyone else, no matter how well you know them. You only want to help people learn and grow as people, whether that’s intellectually or socially. You’re ridiculous and not afraid to look like an idiot if it cheers people up. Honestly? You’re one of the most selfless people I know; it seems like everything you do is for someone else._

The signing is stilted, some of the motion obstructed by the wrap on Daniel’s wrist, but the message is clear, particularly given the expression in Daniel’s dark eyes. _Seongwoo_ , he signs, _I care about you._ This would be good enough for Seongwoo on any given day; it’s more than he thought he would ever get. But it continues. _Seongwoo,_ Daniel signs, _I like you._

It’s all Seongwoo can do to raise his hands to reply, and his fingers tremble as he does so. _Daniel_ , he signs back, smiling a little at the ridiculous name sign, _I like you too._

They’re close enough that they could kiss, and something in Seongwoo desperately wants to—from the way Daniel’s eyes drift, Daniel does as well. But it’s some unspoken agreement that keeps them from it, as though the act would spoil the moment, make it too tangible to retreat from.

And so instead they turn back the way they were headed, laugh to each other when they realize their friends are nowhere in sight, and Seongwoo reaches over to link his fingers with Daniel’s, careful of the tape that keeps the wrist straight. Together, in this way, they walk back to the dorms, no words needed to feel the excitement that lingers from the confessions.

 

Their eye contact is more than a little awkward when they get back to class on Monday, but neither of them mind—it’s not the bad kind of awkward. They spent the whole weekend texting, trying to figure out what exactly the events after the football game meant for their relationship, and finally they hesitantly decided on dating. It’s just something of a foreign concept for both of them; this was the thing that Seongwoo didn’t allow himself to daydream of previously, and Daniel said he felt a similar way.

They grin at each other when they walk into the lecture hall and slide into their normal seats, and if Seongwoo grabs Daniel’s hand under the desks, who would know?

They’ve hardly had any time to settle in, however, when the professor flips the lights off and opens a window on the projector. It’s a video day, and Seongwoo can do something with this now, since the professor has gotten infinitely better about finding subtitled videos.

Just before the video actually starts, however, Daniel’s head whips around to stare at someone on his other side; a quick glance around the lecture hall shows Seongwoo that everyone else is watching one particular person. He leans around Daniel to see a gangly boy he thinks he recognizes from his Principles of Behavior class freshman year.

Eyes straining in the dark, he does his best to read the boy’s lips. What he catches is something like “why—even need subtitles” and then there’s no time for any more because Daniel is lunging up from his chair toward the boy, and there’s a commotion that Seongwoo can’t understand because he can’t see anything, but the professor and two other students are dragging the two boys away from each other, and Daniel’s eyes are _furious_ in a way Seongwoo’s never seen him, his chest heaving, and he’s cradling his hurt wrist even as he glares daggers at the other boy. The professor is turned to Daniel, therefore with his back to Seongwoo, but is suddenly pointing at the door to the lecture hall—it’s a pretty clear order to leave.

Daniel consents, still glaring, and shakes off the boy holding his arms so that he can grab his stuff. He offers a tense, tight smile for Seongwoo before turning to walk out the door, and that shakes Seongwoo out of his daze. He shoves his own stuff into his bag and races after Daniel’s retreating back, ignoring the curious stares of everyone else in the class.

Daniel stops by a bench not too far from the lecture hall; he’s clearly heard Seongwoo coming after him.

 _What the hell was that?_ Seongwoo doesn’t even wait to stop walking before he’s signing. _What did you do?_

Daniel dumps his backpack on the bench. _Punched him._

Seongwoo very nearly drops his own bag. _What?_ He uses a sign for “what” that’s sort of a slang sign, one that has a bit of a harsher or more disbelieving meaning than the standard sign.

Daniel sets his jaw. _I punched him. He deserved it, saying that shit about you._

_You know I don’t care about that stuff._

_No._ Daniel is resolute. _You do, or you wouldn’t have said what you did about yourself on Friday. I’m not going to let people walk all over you anymore._

To be honest, Seongwoo would be lying if he said Daniel with this righteous fury in his eyes wasn’t kind of hot. _Doesn’t mean you have to punch someone to defend me._

_He wasn’t going to stop if I didn’t, and I needed to get him to stop._

Through all of this, somehow, they’ve moved closer together; Seongwoo could reach up and run his hands through Daniel’s hair easily, if he wanted to. And he wants to, so he signs _thank you_ and reaches for Daniel, who steps into the quasi-embrace without hesitation. They’re chest to chest, and Seongwoo can see the moment Daniel’s eyes soften, lose some of their fire.

He thinks he could kiss Daniel, right now, if he wanted to. And he wants do, and Seongwoo is tired of not letting himself do what he wants to, so he lets his eyes slide shut as he moves forward, and then—and then.

And then Daniel is kissing him, hands warm on the small of Seongwoo’s back, and Seongwoo thinks he can feel his heart beating out of his chest and he thinks he laughs a little when Daniel bites at his lower lip just the tiniest bit.

When they pull apart they don’t go far until Seongwoo remembers he needs his hands to speak. _Thank you, my guardian angel._

Daniel’s confused, repeats the signs back carefully with his eyebrows furrowed. Seongwoo explains only for Daniel to laugh and shove at his hands, embarrassed, and Seongwoo grins.

Sure, they have things to work out (and notes to get from someone else) but Seongwoo thinks if it’s with Daniel he’s willing to face anything.


End file.
